Preparations had been made.
Every route mapped.
Every supply accounted for.
Every unknown… reduced as much as possible.
And still—
It wouldn't be enough.
The message came at dawn.
Fast.
Breathless.
Unmistakable.
"They've mobilized."
Within the hour, confirmations flooded in from every direction.
Not rumors.
Not speculation.
Facts.
Five armies.
Each five thousand strong.
Moving.
The Empire Advances
They did not march like raiders.
They did not move like bandits.
They advanced like a nation that had done this before.
Each column was structured.
Disciplined.
Precise.
Vanguards of cavalry scouted ahead, kicking up long trails of dust that could be seen miles out.
Behind them—
Heavy infantry.
Shield walls locked in rhythm, boots striking the earth in synchronized thunder.
Archers flanked the rear lines.
Mages moved within the center ranks, guarded heavily—robes hidden beneath reinforced armor, their presence subtle…
But dangerous.
Supply wagons rolled steadily behind them.
Food.
Weapons.
Siege equipment.
This wasn't a strike.
It was a statement.
Five Directions
Reports came in one after another.
South East.
South.
East.
South West.
And West.
Each force had a destination.
And every one of them—
Matched.
Exactly.
Solmere – War Room
The atmosphere had changed.
No more speculation.
No more theory.
Only execution.
Jax stood at the center of the war table, hands resting lightly against the edge.
Around him—
The Vixens.
Commanders.
Messengers moving in and out with constant updates.
"They didn't deviate," one of the generals said.
"They wouldn't," Llandra replied calmly.
Her eyes remained fixed on the map.
"They're confident," Nyxian added, arms crossed. "They think they know exactly what we'll do."
Jax said nothing.
Another messenger rushed in.
"Karnel Ridge—confirmed movement. Three days ahead of projected pace."
Another voice followed.
"Western approach—same formation as predicted."
Zee stood quietly, her staff resting lightly against the ground.
"…They're pushing hard," she said softly.
"They want speed," Jax finally said.
"They want impact before we can react."
He looked up.
"They want us scrambling."
A pause.
Then—
A faint smirk.
"They're not getting it."
Elsewhere – First Contact
Far from Solmere…
One of the five armies advanced through a narrow valley.
The terrain was tight.
Rock walls rising high on either side.
Minimal room to maneuver.
The perfect path for a rapid advance.
Or—
A terrible place to be trapped.
The cavalry at the front slowed slightly.
Not enough to raise alarm.
Just enough…
To notice something felt off.
"No movement," one scout muttered.
Too quiet.
Then—
A flicker.
One of the soldiers blinked.
"…Did you see—?"
Gone.
A shadow.
Nothing more.
The march continued.
The First Sign
A mage in the center column frowned.
"…Something's interfering."
"With what?" another asked.
"…Mana flow."
Before he could elaborate—
A scream.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Everyone turned.
A soldier had fallen.
No arrow.
No wound.
Just—
Gone.
His shadow remained.
For half a second longer than it should have.
Then—
It moved.
Chaos Ignites
The ground erupted.
Not from below—
From everywhere.
Shadows peeled themselves off the stone walls.
From beneath wagons.
From the soldiers themselves.
Forms took shape.
Massive.
Monstrous.
A serpent of darkness coiled through the ranks—
Fang.
A winged silhouette descended from above—
Gryph.
And then—
A shift.
Jax stepped through the chaos.
Not running.
Not charging.
Appearing.
One moment—
He wasn't there.
The next—
He was.
Dual pistols already drawn.
The first shot rang out like thunder.
A mage dropped instantly.
The second—
A shield shattered mid-formation.
The third—
A cavalry unit lost control as their lead rider fell clean from the saddle.
The Vixens Strike
Llandra's arrows followed.
Precise.
Unforgiving.
Each shot found a target that mattered.
Nyxian's whip cracked through the air—
Lilith's Kiss slicing across multiple enemies in a single arc, flames and shadow trailing behind it.
Zee raised her staff.
A barrier formed—
Then launched forward like a battering ram, sending an entire shield line crashing backward.
And then—
A blur of motion.
Bunny.
She came down from above.
The impact shattered the ground.
And everything beneath it.
"BUNNY SMASH!"
Controlled Chaos
To the Empire—
It felt like an ambush.
To Jax—
It was timing.
Every movement.
Every strike.
Every appearance.
Calculated.
He vanished again—
Replaced by a shadow mage.
Reappeared—
Behind a different formation.
Another shot.
Another collapse.
No pattern.
No rhythm.
Unpredictable.
The Shift
And then—
The Empire adapted.
"FORM UP!"
Mages stepped forward.
Hands raised.
"ANTI-SUMMONING FIELD—NOW!"
A pulse of energy spread outward.
The shadows recoiled.
Some flickered.
Others weakened.
For the first time—
The Empire pushed back.
Jax stood still for a moment.
Watching.
Learning.
Adjusting.
"…So that's how you're playing it."
A faint smile.
Then—
He disappeared again.
End of Engagement
When the dust settled…
The valley was quiet.
But not empty.
The Empire force—
Still standing.
But shaken.
Broken formations.
Lost numbers.
Damaged morale.
And no clear understanding…
Of what had just happened.
Solmere – Final Line
Back in the war room—
Reports came in.
"First engagement complete."
"Enemy sustained losses."
"They're adjusting."
Jax stood silently.
Then nodded once.
"Good."
He turned back to the map.
Four more.
And somewhere out there—
Something didn't feel right.
He couldn't see it yet.
But it was coming.